The Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ) and Chitungwiza Residents’ Trust (Chitrest) have threatened to mobilise to force government to act on corrupt council officials.
By Sofia Mapuranga
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Chitungwiza on Friday Chitrest director, Marvellous Kumalo said residents were angry that officials implicated in a damning internal audit report were walking scot-free.
“We do not know why local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere is failing to act on the rot at Chitungwiza municipality following findings by the internal audit report, which the councillors do not want to adopt because of its contents,” said Kumalo.
He said the audit findings required that government set up a commission of inquiry to investigate office bearers for Chitungwiza, including mayor Phillip Mutoti, who has also been implicated in the land scam.
According to the report, Mutoti was implicated in the corrupt identification and allocation of a residential stand which was given to a four-year-old and later sold.
Several councillors including Charamba Mlambo, Lameck Chibvongodze, Amon Murandu, Shuddy Mapuranga, Rudo Dzere and staff members identified as Mhedziso, Kwanisai, Chiunye and Mandihlare were also implicated in the report.
They allegedly identified undeveloped stands and submitted them to council’s Housing Department for verification and allocation to themselves and their cronies.
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According to the report, councillors Mlambo acquired 41 stands, Murandu 6, Dzere and Chibvongodze five each and Mapuranga one. Kwanisai, Mhedziso and Mandihlare allegedly got 12, eight and seven stands respectively.
Kumalo called on the local government ministry to act on the rot at the local authority as a way of showing his seriousness towards addressing corruption within councils countrywide.
Efforts to get a comment from Mayor Mutoti were futile as his phone was not available.
